Will
US
Drone Strikes
in Yemen Pause
for UNSC Sanaa
Weekend Visit?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 24 --
As the UN
Security
Council
prepares for
its trip to
Yemen, the revived
proposal
for which
Inner City
Press first
reported
and then was
encouraged to
stop
publishing
details about,
a new security
threat has
arisen.
The US
campaign of
drone strikes
on Wednesday
reached Al
Masna village
in Khawlan
district,
killing six
people a mere
35 kilometers
away from
Sanaa, which
Security
Council
members are
slated to
visit this
weekend.
The question
is, will
the US pause
or move its
drone campaign
during the
Council's
visit?
After
the question
arose - on
Twitter - Inner
City Press
posed it to
several
Security
Council
diplomats
later on
Thursday
morning. One
said that
another closed
door
consultation
about the
trip,
including a
briefing by
the Department
of Safety and
Security,
would take
place Thursday
afternoon.
Another
said
there is "no
way" that the
issue of US
drone strikes
will be
discussed in
the Security
Council, even
in a closed
door session
right before
Council
members visit
the "drone
rain" of
Sanaa.
But UN
expert Ben
Emmerson is
beginning an
inquiry into
drone strikes,
including in
Yemen. Click here
for Inner City
Press coverage
of Emmerson
and drones,
here for
coverage of
the UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous' proposal
to use drones.
Watch this
site.
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